CHICAGO -- Police officers who rushed a 3-year-old girl and her father to the hospital after getting shot in Back of the Yards spoke out about the incident on Thursday.

The 9th District commander said the officers who helped are heroes.

"It all happened very fast we just had to make that rash decision," Officer Luke Rosner said.

The shooting happened on the 900 block of West 48th Street around 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Police said the two were injured when a man walked up to the girl's father, 34, and began firing shots. The offender fled on foot and may have gotten into a black sedan that was waiting nearby, police said.

The child was shot in both legs and taken to Comers Children's Hospital by officers. Police said her father was shot in the foot and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center.

"We want her to survive," Officer Luis Saldana said. "I'm thinking of my own family, my nieces, my nephews my own children and I wouldn't want any family member to lose a child."

Officer Saldana said the girl was pretty calm throughout the five minute ride. He said she cried for a bit but for most of the ride, she was a trooper.

"The actions of these officers. This was heroic stuff yesterday. They did everything they could to save that child’s life and her fathers and this is the kind of act officers do citywide everyday, " Commander Randall Darlin said.

Friends of the 34-year-old man said he is the father of six children. Police said the man is a documented gang member and a convicted felon. He is believed to have been the intended target.

The victims' conditions had stabilized at the hospital.

No one is in custody. Anyone with information is asked to call police.